Boarding party

          He looked terrified but he didn't hesitate as he walked over to the ladder and started climbing. He was a little slow because of the axe but soon his head crested the deck.
          He paused and looked around. "Looks empty, hard to tell with this fucking fog," he called down. "I think it's okay." He climbed the rest of the way up and swung over the railing and stood there alternating looks at the deck and back down at us. Nothing rushed out of the fog.
          "What are you waiting for," Skip called to us. "Get up there!"
          Clancy went up first. He reached the top and pulled his pistol. I went next. I dont like heights and the climb was a bitch. I just gritted my teeth and climbed as fast as I could, Glad when I was able to swing myself over the rail and put boots on the ground for the second it took me to remember where I was.
          Rook moved next to me. "Good job," I said.
          "Thanks. Though I'm starting to regret this decision. This is fucking creepy."
          The kid wasn't kidding. we were standing on the bow, the superstructure no more than a dark blur. the fog was too thick and visibility was shit. My skin crawled. something could get way too close before we could see it. I felt like something was watching us, but that could have just been paranoia.
          The only sounds were the water lapping against the hull and the rest of the teams clmibing the ladder. No sounds of life. we were on a ghost ship.

          A moment later everyone was up. Everyone checked their weapons again and looked around nervously.
          "Some welcoming committee," Clancy said, his voice little more than a whisper. "Be careful, and stay alert. If you find anything use your radio, but keep the volume low. If anything bad happens dont shoot unless you have to and watch your fire for gods sake. I dont want anyone shooting one of us. Let's get moving, find a way in."
          we started across the bow. It was much larger than ours, almost the length of the entire 88, and it was a moment before we reached the superstructure. we stayed together as one group for the moment. once Clancy reached the bulkhead he went left towards the starboard side. We found a hatch a few feet later, but it was locked.
          We rounded the side without incident. out of necessity due to the narrower walkway we formed a staggered line. the deck side team went first, Clancy in the lead, followed by Rogers, Abner and Kyle. I was first out of the engineers. Behind me was Fulkerson, and then Englund and Davis with Rook bringing up the rear. We passed a ladder to the deck above but clancy ignored it, preferring instead to press on in search of an open hatch.
          The first one we came to was locked as well. but the second popped open a little when Clancy loosened the dogs.
          "Okay, Let's do this. Everyone stick close."
          He pulled the hatch open. A rush of rank stale air rushed through the opening, making us gag. This thing had been closed up for some time. Beyond the entrance was darkness. Not just darkness but total absence of light. the weak light from outside illuminated the first few feet of a hallway. but beyond that was nothing but black.
          "God, that stinks," Clancy said waving his pistol hand in front of his face. His flashlight has a wide lens and it acted like a miniature spotlight. He turned in on and trained it at the dark doorway. From my angle I couldnt see much more.
          "It's a hallway," Clancy said. "I see a couple doors on either side and the it tees off left and right. Hello?"
          There was no answer. He holstered his pistol and pulled the walkie from his belt. "This is Clancy. we've found an open hatch. Preparing to enter now. Still no sign of the crew."
          "Copy that. Watch your asses in there."
          "Will do." he traded the radio for his pistol again. He leaned into the opening. "Hello?" Still no answer
          He took a visible deep breath and stepped through. Rogers snapped the flashlight on his barrel on and followed him, with Abner and Kyle right behind.
          I turned my own barrel light on and moved forward. Now that I could see further inside I saw Exactly what Clancy had described. Two doors on each side and then a branch left and right.
          I fought off the urge to turn and run back the other way and settled for a glance back at the four men behind me. They all looked like I felt. At least I wasn't alone.
          "Go on," Davis said.
          I stepped through and caught up with the rest. Clancy was stopped at the first door, fighting with the dogs, while Rogers and Kyle trained their weapons at the open doorways a few steps further. From my position I could see nothing of the contents of those rooms.
          "Fuck, finally," Clancy said, yanking the last dog loose. every noise inside was amplified, and the grinding metal as he pulled it free and open the door sounded like the shrieking of a huge metal creature. the darkness around us was suffocation, always close, like an unwanted extra companion. the flashlights tore small paths through the shadows, but were pathetic against the darkness, about as effective as trying to pollute the ocean by pissing in it.
          "Of course," Clancy said, taking a step back from the open door. "This one's just a storage closet. nothing here."
          I moved around him to stand next to Kyle. "You ok?"
          "Hell no," she whispered. "I just want to get out of here."
          "Me too." I swung my rifle around the doorway she was watching. my flashlight fell on nothing more interesting than shelves of sheets, blankets, towels and pillowcases "Just linen storage here."
          "Looks like more storage over here," Rogers said. "Looks like parts and shit. Plumbing. A lotta boxes.
          There was another grinding sound as Englund pulled the door across from Clancy. "Just a head here," He said. "Shit."
          "Let's keep moving." Clancy shouldered through the group and we took up our previous positions and followed him down the hall to the intersection. The branching passages were wider, and there were two sets of stairs. one leading up on the right, down to the left.
          "Okay,' Clancy said. "This looks like as good a spot as any. You guys head down. We'll search the rest of this deck and then head up. Check everywhere but try to hurry the fuck up. This place is giving me the creeps."
          "That's an understatement," Davis answered, the first time he admitted anything was amiss.
          "Just check for crew first," Clancy continued. "Make sure it's safe first. then we'll meet back up and see where to go from there if we don't find anyone. Say, twenty minutes? and just radio if you're okay but behind schedule."
          "Sounds good. You heard the man." Davis's voice was quiet but amplified by the metal walls surrounding us until it was almost as loud as a shout. He looked at me. "You Want someone else to take point?"
          I did, but I wasn't going to force someone else to do it, if something happened it would be my fault. After Chief Issacs I couldn't go through that again. "I'm good Sarge. Let's just get it over with."
          "Yeah he like's having guys behind him," Englund whispered.
          One look at the black maw of the descending staircase almost made me tell him I'd changed my mind. I approached it slowly, afraid to shine my light down there for fear that something was waiting just beyond that black veil, but I did. the only thing that waited in sight down there was the rest of the steps and another passage.
          I checked again to make sure my safety was off and started down.
          "Out of my way, Fuckerson." I heard Englund curse a second before the sound of his boots on the steps behind me reached my ears. God I was glad to have him there. Just the thought of being alone almost made me turn and run for the 88.
          "Get to the back," he went on, "Need more than an axe back there."
          I glanced back and saw Fulkerson nod and Glance at Davis, who confirmed the statement with a nod of his own. The ranks shifted and we continued.
          At the bottom of the steps I swung back and forth, checking the passage both ways. I saw nothing but seeing with a flashlight in complete darkness is far from perfect as I'm sure you can imagine even if you've never had to do it. I was terrified that when I swept the light back over a place I already checked there would be a face from my nightmares there. but I saw nothing. The other lights danced around me as the rest reached the bottom of the stairs, doing their own double check.
          "Jesus, it's cold," Fulkerson said, clutching his rifle against his chest and shivering.
          "You aren't kidding," Englund whispered. "Witches titties."
          "Keep moving," Davis said. "Check the front half of this deck first."
          We headed in the direction of the bow, leaving the stairs and our escape to be swallowed by the darkness behind us. I have never been more scared, not even when that thing took Isaacs. I think in that one way the dark was a blessing. We couldn't see the terror on each other's faces.
          The first hatch loomed ahead to our right. "Wait," Davis said. "Cover me."
          I stopped and trained my rifle down the passage past him. He went to the hatch and pulled it open. It's a ladder he said. "It must lead to the first locked hatch we found.
          I took the front again and we moved to the next doorway, this one on the left. I backed against the far wall and inched towards it so nothing could come rushing out at me. Englund was right next to me.
          "You two get in there and check it out," Davis said. "We'll keep watch out here."
          Of course. I couldn't argue with the logic though. it wouldn't be good if we were all crammed into the same room together and something happened. We'd be just as likely to hit each other as anything else. I know a lot of it was just caution, but funny how we were already acting like there was something hostile aboard.
          I backed off and let Englund lead with the shotgun. the room was a small machine shop. Workbenches lines the long compartment and the walls were covered with shelves of tools and equipment. not much place for anyone to hide except under the tables or in a set of tall lockers on one far wall. we found nothing though and rejoined the others.
          We continued on, searching the rest of the deck in the same way, and still no sign of anyone. Instead of the apparent emptiness relieving some of the terror, it only made it worse.
          It felt like forever but was probably only a few minutes before we reached another set of stairs leading further into the bowels of the ship near the ones we came down. It was colder the next deck down but that was about the only difference.
          We were about halfway through with that deck when I heard the first noise. I stopped short and barely avoided shitting my pants. It sounded like someone whispering. I tried to tell myself if was just in my head, but no such luck. I heard Englund draw in a gasping breath behind me.
          "Fuck man," He whispered over my shoulder. "Tell me I didn't really just hear that." But he did. we both did.
          "Shut the fuck up," Davis whispered.
          Ahead of us there were two more doors one open and one closed. before the passage turned to the left. It was hard to tell for sure, but it sounded like the noise was coming from somewhere around the corner. We all stood frozen.
          The sound continued. It would go for a few seconds, then stop, then a few more. It was way too low to make out anything being said, if it was anything. it sounded to me like gibberish, a low, eerie susurration. Almost too low to hear but impossible to miss.
          "Hello," Davis called. "Do you need help? We're U.S. Army. our boat is disabled and-"
          He was cut off as the whispering rose into a low moan, just for a second before the previous sound resumed. and then it was joined by the sound of something being dragged towards us.
          We all backed up a little before Davis stopped us. "Hold your ground. Maybe someone's hurt." he grabbed the walkie. "This is Davis. We've got noise. nothing in sight. It reacted to my voice but no words. it sounds like someone, but it sounds... weird."
          No answer on the radio.
          Weird? that's was one hell of an understatement. "Sarge," I whispered. "This isn't right. I got a bad feeling."
          "He's right," Fulkerson added. "Sarge I think we should get out of here."
          "I think you should fuckin can it, both of you. Hold your ground." He didn't sound like he meant it.
          I don't know how, but I managed to stay put. The sounds got closer. I don't know which was worse the scraping sound of something heavy being drug or that damn whispering.
          "Hello," Davis called again. "Please identify yourself."
          It was about to. The sounds were just out of sight around the corner. I exhaled and tightened my finger on the trigger. And then the whisper grew into a moan again, not low this time but an unnaturally loud, deep cry that vibrated off the walls and into our bones as a nightmare stumbled into view.
          It had been a man at some point but no more. Its body, an angry maroon hue like an apple going bad, was a mass of giant tumor like growths. The right arm was fused to the body and grew down into the leg and the left was swollen to many times its normal size. The flesh on the hairless head was stretched by a mass growing out the back at least twice the size of the head itself, pulling what remained of the face into a skull like grimace. the lower jaw looked like it had melted into the body and the eyes were gone. It stumbled into the bulkhead and then started dragging itself down the passage toward us.
          "Oh my god," Davis said. "Start backing up nice and slow. no sudden movements." he grabbed the walkie. "We found something. Not a survivor. I think it was a man but now, Christ I don't know what the fuck it is."
          There was the short burst of static that preceded someone speaking and then Cleary's muffled voice yelling at someone to move and then got as he spoke into the radio
          "Get off this ship! This place is fucked. Run, you hear me? Run!"
          Skip was next. "You hear him everyone back here NOW."
          The thing lunged at us swinging its swollen arm it slammed into the bulkhead as we scrambled back and the flesh split, spilling a mass of thick stinking gore.
          "Get out," Davis yelled.
          A second thing came around the corner behind the first and then a third appeared in the open doorway.
          "Look out," Englund said, pulling me behind him a leveling the shotgun at the monstrosities. the sound of the shot stole the moaning from our ears for several seconds. the first creature went down and the other two stumbled back.
          I fired a burst, taking down the thing in the doorway and then we were running for the stairs. More shapes lumbered out of the darkness from the way we had come.
          "Oh fuck hurry, they're gonna cut us off," Fulkerson gasped.
          "Shoot em, Fuckerson," Englund yelled.
          Fulkerson and Davis opened fire down the passageway, onto the things now in front of us. This time they didn't go down. The growths on their bodies split like the others arm had when the bullets hit them, and now things started to come out of the tears in their flesh. It was too hard to tell exactly what they were in the bobbing lights, but they almost looked like vines, whipping back in forth in the air.
          Englund and I shouldered past Rook to add our firepower. It was going to be close, but no fucking way was I dying down there. Englund bulled his way to the front and sent the creatures back with another deafening blast. the first couple went down, leaving a clear path to the stairs. he bounded up them.
          "Hurry," Davis called. he fired a couple more shots and then he was gone too, with Fulkerson right behind him.
          I risked a glance back to make sure it was the kid still behind me and not one of those things. he was, but they weren't far behind him. It was going to be close. already more were closing in on the stairs. Two remained on the floor near them but I don't know if they were dead or not. I hit the stairs and bounded about two thirds of the way up when I heard rook scream. I turned just in time to see him bury the ax in the forehead of one of the monsters that got too close, dropping it to the deck. He tried to pull the axe free but it was stuck.
          I went back down a few steps and sent a burst of rounds at the ones coming up behind him. "Leave it, we have to go!"
          I heard gunfire above me. "Hurry," Davis called down to me.
          Rook gave the handle one more tug but it wouldn't budge so he left it and ran up the stairs after me. I'm glad I wasn't him. I would not have wanted to be unarmed just then.
          At the top I found them fending off more that must have come up from below another way. "Let's go," Davis yelled.
          Good thing the stairs to the main deck were so close. Then it was a mercifully clear passageway and we were back outside.
          I hesitated at the open hatch. "What about the others?"
          Already the terrible moaning was echoing down that passage as well. "They're not making it out that way," Davis said. "For all we know they're already back on the boat."
          I hoped that was the case We dogged the hatch as tight as we could to buy us time and took off for the 88.There was a crash above us as a hatch flew open and something came through and ran toward us on the O1. at first it was hard to see but soon I could make out that it was Kyle. She was headed for a ladder at the bow.
          Rogers and Clancy weren't far behind her. "Run," Clancy shouted. "Don't stop, don't look at me, just RUN!"
          I didn't see Abner. I ran to the bottom of the ladder and waited there in case Kyle or the others needed help on the way down.
          A second later she was sliding down and then she stood next to me I grabbed her arm and turned her toward me. "Are you ok?"
          She looked dazed and shook her head. She was crying. "We need to go, now." She turned and ran toward the 88. Rook followed her. I don't blame him. without a weapon, I wouldn't have been waiting for shit.
          Rogers started down and Clancy leaned over then rail. "Go you motherfuckers! I told you not to wait. Go!"
          There was another crash as something else came through the open hatch and stumbled out toward us. Abner. But something was wrong. He was dragging one leg and his head was cocked at a strange angle. Then he moved closer and I saw something sticking into his back. Long and round, it trailed off behind Him like an air hose on an old diving suit, leading back to the other thing that was climbing through the hatch behind him.
          This was not like the others. I'm not sure if this thing had ever been human or not. It had the basic bipedal shape of a man, but all similarities ended there. I'm not even sure if it was one being or what the hell it was. It was completely made up of those whipping vine like appendages that we saw on the other creatures, only these were bigger. They wriggled independently yet moved together as one single being.
          "GO," Clancy shouted.
          Abner tried to keep moving forward but the thing grabbed the appendage holding him and started to pull it back, dragging him along. He started screaming, a terrible, ragged sound. Davis and I raised our weapons and fired at it. the parts we hit fell off and withered but the mass as a whole didn't react at all. It just kept pulling and Abner's screaming grew worse. Blood started to run down the bulkhead from the deck above.
          "It's no use," Clancy shouted. "We have to go, now!"
          But none of us moved yet. we all just stood there, forced to watch but unable to do anything. Once it was close enough several pieces of it reached from the whole and wrapped around his body, the ends burrowing into him. His flesh began to bubble and melt.
          And then Englund was pulling me, screaming at me to move, and my paralysis broke. we ran for the boat.
          It seemed like forever waiting for everyone to climb back down the ladder to the boat. There was a distant hammering sound, probably the things we had encountered below deck beating at the hatch. and the screaming went on and on. And then it was only me and Clancy left.
          "Go," he said. The hammering stopped and I heard moaning. "Hurry."
          He didn't have to tell me that. i was down that ladder in seconds. Clancy was right behind me. "Move this fucking thing! theyre coming."
          Skip yelled at whoever was at the helm and a second later we started moving. But so slow. I saw shapes moving in the fog up there.
          "Hold your fire," Skip called. "Save the ammo. We'll be clear of them, whatever they are."
          I heard a strange hissing. The thing that killed Abner lumbered out of the fog. It didn't stop when it reached the railing, just plowed right into it and over the side. As it fell peices broke off from the main body. It missed us by about a foot, plunging into the black water, but a couple of the vine things landed on the stern. They were quickly dispatched with well-placed shots.
          I watched the spot where the thing disappeared, but there was no sign of the thing, whatever it was. The other things just stopped at the rail and watched us leave, their horrible moans chasing us across the water, A ghost ship with a nightmare crew. I had never been so glad of anything as I was when that abomination was swallowed by the fog.